The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
 The Time Machine First Edition. |   |
The Time Machine was published in 1895 in The United Kingdom. As with many of Wells’ works, it was way ahead of its time. (No pun intended) But it was this book and Wells that coined the all too familiar phrase, Time Machine.
A British author and friend of mine, Ingrid Hall, coined me as the “Daddy of Time Travel”. I do appreciate the title and hope to live up to the modern motto. But if I am the Daddy, H.G. Wells was the "Great Gandfather of all Time Travel”. But not only time travel, but modern science fiction all together. Remember that Wells also wrote War of the Worlds. These were the blue print of sci-fi, still used today.
Wells was a product of the Industrial Age, which started in England. Machines were being used for everything. He even refers to London subways with electric lights. Wells himself was dubious of industry and took on socialist views. His version of the future, however, was negative on both accounts. Wells has his time traveler travel to the year 802,701 A.D. At this time, human kind had split up into two separate groups: The above grounders, which are called the Eloi and the below grounders, called the Morlocks. The Morlocks were the laborers who ran machines and made things. While the Eloi enjoyed life, but lost all human motivation. They had become sexually unambiguous, small, frail and fair. He states in the book that the males were not strong because they no longer had a need of protecting their own. The Morlocks provided for them, made their clothes, planted their food, etc. In return, the Eloi became a food source for the cannibalized Morlocks.
It was also evident that H.G. Wells, followed the insights of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin had only died thirteen years prior.
A British author and friend of mine, Ingrid Hall, coined me as the “Daddy of Time Travel”. I do appreciate the title and hope to live up to the modern motto. But if I am the Daddy, H.G. Wells was the "Great Gandfather of all Time Travel”. But not only time travel, but modern science fiction all together. Remember that Wells also wrote War of the Worlds. These were the blue print of sci-fi, still used today.
Wells was a product of the Industrial Age, which started in England. Machines were being used for everything. He even refers to London subways with electric lights. Wells himself was dubious of industry and took on socialist views. His version of the future, however, was negative on both accounts. Wells has his time traveler travel to the year 802,701 A.D. At this time, human kind had split up into two separate groups: The above grounders, which are called the Eloi and the below grounders, called the Morlocks. The Morlocks were the laborers who ran machines and made things. While the Eloi enjoyed life, but lost all human motivation. They had become sexually unambiguous, small, frail and fair. He states in the book that the males were not strong because they no longer had a need of protecting their own. The Morlocks provided for them, made their clothes, planted their food, etc. In return, the Eloi became a food source for the cannibalized Morlocks.
It was also evident that H.G. Wells, followed the insights of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Darwin had only died thirteen years prior.
Interesting fact: In the book, the time traveler mentions wishing he had brought a Kodak with him to capture the image of a Morlock. I had to research this. In 1895, the year the Time Machine was published, Kodak introduced a mini camera that could be carried. They called it the pocket camera.
This is a scan of my own 1960 copy of the The Time Machine. Notice how it advertises a new motion picture.
The Time Machine - A George Pal Production - 1960
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In the 1960s, in Chicago, my dad introduced me to a movie that played every now and then on Sunday afternoons on a show called Family Classics. The movie changed my life. It was the 1960, George Pal production of The Time Machine. It stared Rod Taylor as George, who builds the machine and takes it to the future. This is an amazing movie. It is the original and the best. As he moves the lever forward, slowly at first, he watches a candle burn down in seconds, a snail crawl by as if it were a fast-moving spider. The sense of awe he feels comes straight out of the movie and the audience feels it too. He watches a woman’s clothing shop mannequin and finds himself amazed at the changing styles. The sun becomes like a strobe light as he whisks forward faster and faster in time. George Pal took the awe in H.G. Wells’ book and multiplied it in cinematic splendor, using time-lapse photographic effects which won the movie an Academy Award.
The movie also stared Alan Young as George’s steadfast friend, Filby and Yvette Mimieux as the Eloi girl he saves from drowning, named Weena. Mimieux was perfectly cast for this role. Weena had never before been cared for and she enjoys it. George falls in love with her and fights the Morlocks to save her, the Eloi people, and his Time Machine.
 Prior to having to deal with a talking horse in the TV series, Mister Ed, Alan Young played Filby in the Time Machine. |  Yvette Mimieux as Weena. |
So you see, this movie has my four elements for a great time travel story. Great special effects, a sense of awe, action and romance. It was this film that started my love for time travel and inspired my own writing like nothing else. LINK
The Time Machine movie props:
The Time Machine prop itself was co-designed by George Pal and the MGM art director William Ferrari. Pal wanted it to look like a Victorian horse-drawn sleigh. They used an old fashioned barber's chair, which Pal liked because it reminded him of a pilot's seat. Many years had passed after the machine was sold at auction to a travelling show. But film historian and collector, Bob Burns was told by George Pal himself, that he would one day own it for his collection. Burns got a call that the prop was discovered in a Hollywood thrift shop. He hurried down and paid $1000.00 for the badly broken machine. The chair was missing, but the frame and dish were all still there. It took four months, but the time machine prop was fully restored to pristine condition. The machine is on display at Bob Burn’s museum which also has a wax figure of Rod Taylor wearing the original smoking jacket from the film.
Restoration
 |  Real machine with wax Rod Taylor, wearing real Smoking jacket prop. |
George Pal in the restored Time Machine. His first time seated in it.
Another prop was the miniature time machine used in the movie, built by Wah Chang. It was sadly destroyed in a fire at George Pall’s house. I can never own this, so I did the next best thing…I bought and built my own model.
 My model and paint job of the time machine. |  |
Time Machine: The Journey Back staring Rod Taylor and Alan Young
In 1993, using the original restored time machine prop, a mini-sequel was written by the original screenwriter (David Duncan) of George Pal's classic movie. It starred, Rod Taylor as H. George Wells, ten years after his original journey. Filby (Alan Young) was still the caregiver of George's house.
Sadly, Rod Taylor died, January 7, 2015 at the age of 84.
Alan Young died, May 19th, 2016 at age 96.
Sadly, Rod Taylor died, January 7, 2015 at the age of 84.
Alan Young died, May 19th, 2016 at age 96.
Time After Time - 1979
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In 1979, a novel and movie were being written nearly simultaneously. Both were called Time After Time. The novel was written by Karl Alexander who was finishing it while the movie was being produced.
In this story, we have Malcolm McDowell playing H.G Wells himself travelling through time to the 1970s in pursuit of Jack the Ripper played by David Warner. To this day, I get the creeps whenever I see Warner in anything, because of this film.
In this story, we have Malcolm McDowell playing H.G Wells himself travelling through time to the 1970s in pursuit of Jack the Ripper played by David Warner. To this day, I get the creeps whenever I see Warner in anything, because of this film.
David Warner as Jack the Ripper.
It also stars Mary Steenburgen as a bank teller named Amy Robbins, who Herbert (H.G. Wells) falls in love with. The movie contains much of what H.G. Wells believed in and wrote about, such as socialism and women’s liberation. It was a great film in its own right.
I thought McDowell and Steenburgen had good on-screen chemistry. This was their first time working together, but the following year, they were married. They had two children together.
I thought McDowell and Steenburgen had good on-screen chemistry. This was their first time working together, but the following year, they were married. They had two children together.
The time machine from Time After Time.
The Time Machine - 2002
In 2002, Wells’ Great Grandson, Simon Wells directed the remake of the The Time Machine. It stared, among others, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Irons, Orlando Jones, Samantha Mumba, and a cameo by Alan Young. I consider this a good film as a stand-alone project. It did not follow the book as the 1960 Pal version, but the elements it added were interesting. I enjoyed the paradox he created where the character tries every attempt to save his beloved girlfriend from being killed. No matter how much he changed the events, she always died at the very same time.
Pretty Samantha Mumba as Mara.
The Weena type character named Mara and the Eloi were not fair delicate creatures, but had dark complexions and more native-like.
One of the elements of this movie that struck me was when colonization of the moon ended up breaking it apart. In the far future, you see the now partially destroyed lunar globe. This was good imagery. The time machine itself was amazing. It was constructed of brass with dual Crystal rotating dishes.
One of the elements of this movie that struck me was when colonization of the moon ended up breaking it apart. In the far future, you see the now partially destroyed lunar globe. This was good imagery. The time machine itself was amazing. It was constructed of brass with dual Crystal rotating dishes.
Guy Pearce and the time machine from 2002.
My friends and I were reluctant to see this movie when it came out. It could never be compared to the 1960 George Pal film and one should never try. But it was a good movie as a completely different entity.
In conclusion, I see merit in all of these H.G. Wells Time Machine entities. But none will have affected me like the 1960 George Pal version of the Time Time Machine.
 The Big Bang TV episode with a reproduction of the time machine. This was not the original prop. But it was fun and cool. |  |
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